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Wow, November already. It’s been quite a year. Welcome to another issue of ‘At the Table’!
We are excited to share news from across the region and FNS. In this issue we take a look back on the historic White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, held this past September, and its goal of ending hunger and reducing diet-related diseases and disparities in our country by 2030. I hope each of you got the chance to attend at least one session and took away some ideas to make impacts in the future. If you missed the conference or if you want to revisit a session, please see the link below for the recorded sessions.
Fall is also the time for celebrating Farm to School Month and National School Lunch Week. I am grateful to all the schools and partners who took the time to show us the great work they’re doing. It’s always a pleasure to see the enthusiastic food service and educator boots on the ground ensuring our children get not only tasty and nutritious meals, but also the knowledge about the production and preparation of those foods.
In this edition of At the Table, you also will find partner stories, grant opportunities, and much more. If you have a story or success that you would like to share, please let us know. As always, we would appreciate feedback on the content of these newsletters. Send us an email at sm.fn.ma-pa@usda.gov.
Lastly, as we celebrate Veterans Day, I want to thank all who have served our country. On Veterans Day, we honor their service and dedication, and share our gratitude for their sacrifice. Thank you!
~ Dr. Patty Bennett, Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator
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FNS Administrator Cindy Long observes a Kimball Elementary School student preparing sweet potato quesadillas.
Welcome to Our F2S Lessons
FNS Administrator Cindy Long and Mid-Atlantic Regional Administrator Dr. Patty Bennett joined FRESHFARM, District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent Director of Nutrition Services Liz Leach, and leadership from DC Public Schools and Food Corps Oct. 25, 2022, at Kimball Elementary School in DC to celebrate Farm to School Month.
Read More about Administrator Long's Visit
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Teaching the Teachers:
New Jersey Ag F2S Staff Shares Knowledge
New Jersey Department of Agriculture Farm to School team recently held a workshop where teachers came to learn more about showcasing local produce
Attendees at the popular session receive hands-on training, preparing and tasting new and exciting recipes.
Coordinator Nicole Broadwater is extremely passionate about Farm to School and the workshops her F2S team occasionally host for educators, food serve staff and farmers. “We (F2S Team) are obsessed with sharing our expertise through gardening, agriculture, fresh fruit and vegetables and nutrition education.”
Read more about the workshop
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 MARO SNAP Employment and Training Analyst Derrick Dolphin, center, attends the Philabundance Community Kitchen Graduation Sept. 2, 2022, helping PCK celebrate the 1,000th graduate of their culinary workforce program.
SNAP Employment and Training; Changing People’s Lives
MARO SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) Analyst Derrick Dolphin recently visited Philabundance Community Kitchen (PCK) in Philadelphia for a graduation ceremony where he got an up-close look at how support from USDA is changing people’s lives.
Administered by the state, SNAP E&T helps SNAP participants gain skills, training, or work experience using a “third party reimbursement” model. Services are provided by colleges, community-based organizations, and other organizations who leverage their own finding with matched funds from USDA.
Read More About PCK
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MARO Celebrates Farm to School Month
 CCPS Supervisor of Food Services Shows MARO RA Dr. Patty Bennett the Mobile Farmers Market bus that travels to different areas around the county offering produce and meats to the community.
During Farm to School Month USDA celebrates a program that brings local foods into our schools and bring education alive through experiential learning opportunities, such as growing plants in the classroom or school gardens, tasting new specialty crops, or visiting local farms. MARO staff spent Farm to School Month at various schools and markets across the region learning about the best practices and innovative ideas that help our children get the nutrition and the knowledge that they need succeed.
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New Jersey got a jump on things with Jersey Fresh Farm to School Week during the last week of September, highlighting the state's rich agricultural legacy and recognizing best practices in Farm to School from both the school and the farmer side.
Read more about Jersey Fresh F2S
NJDA Press Releases on the school and the farmer.
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Another highlight to the month was MARO Regional Administrator Dr. Patty Bennett's participation in the Maryland Homegrown School Lunch event on Oct. 13., looking at innovative and engaging practices of Caroline County Public Schools Food Services.
Read more about Maryland Homegrown School Lunch Week
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MARO Celebrates National School Lunch Week
Regional Administrator Dr. Patty Bennett, Special Nutrition Programs Director Roberta Hodsdon and Nutritionist Payal Mody visited schools in Maryland and Delaware to celebrate National School Lunch Week. Both schools embraced the theme of "Peace, Love and School Lunch."
On Oct. 13, Hodsdon and Moody joined Delaware First Lady Tracey Quillen Carney at Pleasantville Elementary School in New Castle, where kids were served lunch by food service staff dressed in vintage bell bottoms, tie-dyed shirts, and a whole array of vintage 1970’s threads. The excited staff provided after meal entertainment, too, performing groovy dance routines to the
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MARO SNP Nutritionist Payal Mody, left, and SNP Director Roberta Hodsdon, third from left, celebrated NSLW in Delaware.
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Dr. Bennett celebrated the NSLW with a visit to John Hanson Middle School in Waldorf, Maryland Oct. 14. The school and staff embraced the theme, dressing in vintage clothing and serving up meals like “Boogie Down Big Daddy’s Cheese Pizza” and “Funky Chicken Caesar Wrap.”
Hanson Principal Ben Kohlhorst, right, and CCPS Superintendent Maria Navarro, left, stop for a minute to enjoy some time with students.
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Come to the Table: Bringing Healthcare and Nutrition Together
Weeks ago, partners gathered at the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to forge a future without hunger, diet-related diseases, and health disparities. Building on the momentum, USDA recently hosted Come to the Table: USDA’s National Nutrition Security and Healthcare Summit. More than 200 healthcare, federal, and community leaders came together to advance the conference goals of ensuring all Americans have the resources necessary to eat nutritious foods that support good health.
Click here for photos from the summit.
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 The White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition,
and Health was a Great Success!
We want to thank all of you for your tireless work towards supporting the American public every day. But our work to implement the National Strategy on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health has only just begun.
As a follow-up to the White House Conference, FNS published a report highlighting our accomplishments over the past several decades with a look to our future work - Leveraging the White House Conference to Promote and Elevate Nutrition Security: The Role of the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. This report is about the important work we do at FNS every day.
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Click below to see the recordings from the White House Conference of the various plenary sessions including remarks by President Joe Biden and Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow as well as recordings of the panel sessions on subjects like food is medicine, advancing equitable research and supporting physical activity for kids.
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Grants, Webinars and Other Opportunities
Looking for a way to get active in your local food system? Have an idea that needs funding? USDA has several opportunities for grants, training and volunteer participation.
Check out these resources!
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Power of the Food Program Scholarships
Application deadline: Nov. 15, 2022
The National CACFP Sponsors Association is giving away 5,000 scholarships to attend the Power of the Food Program virtual event on Wednesday, December 7th.
Attendees will learn how the USDA Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) contributes to nutrition security, why they should participate, how to get financial reimbursement for the healthy meals they serve to those in their care, what the meal patterns are, and how to sign up and meet program requirements. There will also be sessions about menu planning, food allergens, physical activities, low-cost snacks that meet the meal pattern, and nutrition education resources.
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2023 Farm to School Grant Program
Application Due Date: Jan. 6, 2023
USDA expects to award up to $12 million in competitive grants to eligible entities through the Farm to School Grant Program in FY23. The RFA includes three tracks: Implementation, State Agency, and Turnkey.
A wide variety of entities are eligible to compete for funding through this opportunity. Eligible schools, State and local agencies, Indian tribal organizations, small to medium-sized agricultural producers or groups of producers, and non-profit organizations are eligible for Farm to School Grants. Institutions operating the CACFP and SFSP at non-school based sites may also apply for funding. Please note that eligibility varies by grant track. Please see sections 3.0 through 3.4 of the RFA for specific eligibility requirements.
The USDA Office of Community Food Systems will be hosting two webinars to address questions and walk through the application process in early November.
For latest information and updates from the Farm to School Program, subscribe to The Dirt our monthly e-letter, or visit our Farm to School Program website.
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Tech for a Better WIC Experience - Communications, Data, and Metrics Funding Opportunity
FNS is providing up to $31,150,000 in non-competitive grant funding in FY 2022 for WIC state agencies to plan and implement technology improvement projects to provide a better WIC experience for participants. Potential projects include text messaging; mobile phone support; appointment scheduling tools; plain language and limited English proficiency support; data analysis, visualization and metrics collection; publicly available data sets; and additional technology and/or human-centered design projects. These grants, funded as part of President Biden’s American Rescue Plan, are part of a broader initiative to modernize the WIC program. All WIC state agencies are eligible to apply for the funding. Click to learn more.
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